Ben B. Cheney Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not fund general operating budgets, annual campaigns, individuals, endowments or conferences, so a request for core running costs should not go here.
- It prefers project grants, especially one-time equipment or facilities with lasting community impact, and wants local support and a clear plan for sustaining the work; its stated focus covers Southwest Washington, the Olympic Peninsula, Kitsap County, Grants Pass/Josephine County and Northern California, with Pierce County and Medford/Jackson County as priorities.
- About 8 in 10 grants fall in a typical band of $500 to $50,000, and half of its grants to organisations were $7,500 or less, so a modest request near $7,500 is a sensible starting point, although its largest grant was $525,000.
- Every proposal begins with a letter of inquiry, which should be specific to your community; applications are rolling, and it appreciates a face-to-face meeting.
- In its latest filing, 72% of grant dollars went to organisations it had funded before, so a first approach from a new applicant faces a funder that leans heavily on existing grantees, and building that relationship early is worthwhile.
Overview
Ben B. Cheney Foundation is a US private foundation based in Tacoma, WA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation makes grants in communities where Mr Cheney’s lumber company operated, with Pierce County as its primary giving location and selected areas in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. It supports a wide variety of programmes intended to improve quality of life, across basic needs, civic life, culture, education, health, social services and youth. It generally limits grants to public charities, although units of government may be eligible depending on the request. The Foundation prefers project grants over ongoing operating support, particularly one-time capital or equipment needs. It favours equipment or facilities with lasting community impact, proposals with local support, innovative responses to community problems and programme expansion. It also assesses whether programme expansion can be sustained and expects information in letters of inquiry to be specific to the local community.
Themes
- Basic needs
- Civic life
- Arts and culture
- Education
- Health care
- Social services
- Youth development
Geographic Focus
Southwest Washington; Olympic Peninsula: Thurston, Mason, Jefferson and Clallam counties in Washington; Kitsap County; Grants Pass/Josephine County; Northern California: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Humboldt and 4 more counties in California. Priority: Pierce County; Medford/Jackson County.
What They Don't Fund
- Support general operating budgets or annual campaigns
- Sponsorships for fundraising events
- Projects which are supplanting tax funded expenditures
- Religious organizations for sectarian purposes
- Basic research
- Endowment funds
- Individuals
- Produce books, films or videos
- Conferences, seminars, or attendance at same
- Individual students or student groups raising money for school-related trips
How to apply
Every proposal begins with a letter of inquiry (LOI).
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 72% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 365 grants to organisations were $7,500 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation prefers project grants over ongoing operating support.
- It favours projects investing in equipment or facilities with a long-lasting impact on community needs.
- It values local community support with a base of local community funding.
- It favours new and innovative approaches to community problems.
- It favours expansion of existing programmes to serve more people or areas.
- It evaluates whether an organisation can sustain the impact of a project grant, especially a programme expansion.
- It wants to see a significant amount of project costs raised before a formal application proceeds.
- It expects information in a letter of inquiry to be specific to the local community.
- It appreciates face-to-face meetings when possible.
- It is rarely a top-level donor to a capital campaign.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 16% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 72% of grant dollars went to organisations Ben B. Cheney Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 136 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $5,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- MultiCare Health Foundations · Mary bridge children's hospital capital campaign$525,0002024 tax year
- Habitat For Humanity Tacomapierce County · Building hope campaign$500,0002024 tax year
- Tacoma Rescue Mission · Good neighbor village$500,0002024 tax year
- Pacific Lutheran University · Phase 3: community serving investments in plus science education facilities$300,0002024 tax year
- YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties · Pearl street family ymca - phase 1$100,0002024 tax year
- Peninsula Metropolitan Park District · Penmet parks recreation center$100,0002024 tax year
- Grand Cinema · Save the grand: a campaign to buy our building & secure our future$80,0002024 tax year
- Mercy Foundation North · Regional cancer center$75,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Jamie Foster — Director
- Henry Cheney — Director
- Bob Hall — Director
- Andrew Cheney — Director
- Jordan Beckingham — Secretary
- Matthew Beckingham — Treasurer
- Carolyn Cheney — Vice Chair
- Bradbury F Cheney — Board Chair
- Erika Tucci — Executive Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,579,585 | $3,157,882 | $81,405,533 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,538,297 | $3,098,562 | $88,812,351 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,784,516 | $3,411,165 | $94,823,817 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Ben B. Cheney Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (253) 572-2442
- info@benbcheneyfoundation.org
- erika@benbcheneyfoundation.org
- Tacoma, WA
- benbcheneyfoundation.org
Applying to Ben B. Cheney Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (253) 572-2442
- info@benbcheneyfoundation.org
- erika@benbcheneyfoundation.org
- Tacoma, WA
- benbcheneyfoundation.org